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The Third Reich 'n Roll
The Third Reich 'n Roll is the third album by The Residents, released on Ralph Records on February 1st 1976. A ''parody and satire of pop music and commercials from the 1960s, ''The Third Reich 'n Roll consists of two side-long "semi-phonetic" interpretations of top 40 rock 'n' roll and bubblegum pop hits. History and concept The Third Reich 'n Roll is The Residents' second album, and first distinct concept album to be released (their shelved second album, a conceptual song cycle entitled Not Available, was recorded in 1974 but not released until 1978). The album was recorded (for the most part) over two sessions, each lasting a week in length. The first session was in October 1974, and the second occurred one year later in October 1975. The Residents were accompanied during these sessions by guitarist Gary Phillips. They originally wanted to ask ''Snakefinger'' to perform on the record, but throughout the sessions he was touring in the UK with his group Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers. The concept behind the two sessions was simple: with their newly-acquired Tascam 8-track tape recorder, The Residents would take a recording of a 1960s bubblegum pop track, then lay their own tracks over the top of them, one by one. When the piece of music was complete, they erased the original track from the master, leaving a suitably mangled cover version performed by The Residents. Some of these miniature cover versions are immediately obvious, while others are rendered almost unrecognizable. For the most part, they appear one after the other, or segue together in a simple medley format, though some feature references to entirely different tracks (for example the version of The Beatles' "Hey Jude" which closes the album also prominently features the backing vocals from The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil"). With these features and other elements, such as the sample of the German version of Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again" which opens the album, The Third Reich 'n Roll was intended by The Residents to satirically point out similarities between the music industry and the fascist Nazi Third Reich, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945. Artwork The packaging and promotion of The Third Reich 'n Roll by Pore No Graphics featured strong Nazi and fascistic imagery, in keeping with the album's concept and the arresting, confrontational imagery The Residents had previously produced. The promotional photos of the group featured four men in giant swastika collars, with their eyes obscured by swastika-shaped glasses. The use of such controversial imagery would cause problems for The Residents and their then-recently formed management company The Cryptic Corporation. As swastikas could not be displayed or sold anywhere in Germany, the group could not initially release or distribute the album there, and in 1981 they released the album with "censored" stickers over every instance of the swastika and word "reich" (and also liberally over the rest of the cover). Later, around the mid 1990s, Pore No Graphics' lead graphic designer Homer Flynn would design an entirely new version of the cover for release in Germany, featuring Adolf Hitler and Madonna in place of the original figure of Dick Clark. Promotional video The Residents created a short film to promote the album, to be aired on an Australian television program called "Flashez", in early 1977. The video, including a six-minute "concentrate" version of a number of pieces from the album, would eventually be considered one of the very first music videos ever made. The video was filmed on newspaper-covered sets, with the band in costumes also created from newspapers. These costumes caused further public relations issues for the band, since the tall, conical hoods of the costumes led some to think that the group was promoting the Ku Klux Klan. In actual fact, the costumes appeared this way simply because it was the easiest way to make a functional head-covering out of newspaper. The video, as well as the group's entire catalog of releases, is included in the Museum of Modern Art, and features on most of the group's video compilations, including Video Voodoo: Volume 1 and Icky Flix. Release The Third Reich 'n Roll became The Residents' first successful release; while not opening the group to a great deal of wider mainstream publicity, the album sold its entire run of 1000 copies, and the success of the new album helped revive sales of their debut, Meet The Residents. Collectors box edition As a further promotion, Ralph Records released a special limited edition collectors box of The Third Reich 'n Roll in 1980. The box contained the original version of The Third Reich 'n Roll (with no additional tracks or previously unheard material), hand-pressed in red marble vinyl with a silk-screened sleeve and labels. The box opened via a sliding panel which had been silk-screened by hand with the album cover art, and also contained two signed and numbered lithographs. Finally, the box was contained in a draw-string bag crafted from the plastic bags used by artist Christo in his piece "Running Fence" (seen on one of the included lithographs). Track listing 1. Swastikas on Parade (17:30) * Sample: Chubby Checker - "Let's Twist Again" (German version) * "Land of a Thousand Dances" * "Hanky Panky" * "A Horse with No Name" * "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" * "The Letter" * "Psychotic Reaction" * "Little Girl" * "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (sung in German) * "Talk Talk" * "I Want Candy" * "To Sir, with Love" * "Telstar" * "Wipe Out" * "Heroes and Villains" 2. Hitler Was A Vegetarian (18:27) * "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" * "96 Tears" * "It's My Party" * "Light My Fire" * "Ballad of the Green Berets" * "Yummy Yummy Yummy" * "Rock Around the Clock" * "Pushin' Too Hard" * "Good Lovin'" * "Gloria" * "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" * "Sunshine of Your Love" * "Hey Jude" * "Sympathy for the Devil" pREServed edition (2018) edition, 2018]] The Third Reich 'n Roll ''was the second album to be released as part of The Residents' pREServed series of remastered and expanded reissues, alongside ''Meet The Residents in January 2018. The pREServed edition of The Third Reich 'n Roll features updated, censored cover art (which refers to their upcoming film project Double Trouble in the same way that the original sleeve promoted the upcoming release of Vileness Fats). It includes the original album, the "Satisfaction" and The Beatles Play The Residents and The Residents Play The Beatles EPs, the previously unknown "German Slide Music" recordings, the complete Oh Mummy! Oh Daddy! live performance (plus a "concentrate" of the backing tape used during the performance), as well as later live and studio versions of pieces from this period. Track listing (*) indicates tracks which are previously unreleased. Disc 1 The Third Reich 'n Roll ''+ ''Third Reich ephemera # Swastikas on Parade (17:28) # Hitler Was a Vegetarian (18:21) # Satisfaction (4:32) # Loser ≅ Weed (2:11) # Beyond The Valley of a Day in the Life (3:59) # Flying (3:24) # German Slide Music Pt. 1 (*) (3:29) # German Slide Music Pt. 2 (*) (1:27) # German Slide Music Pt. 4 (*) (2:17) # German Slide Music Pt. 5 (*) (4:09) # German Slide Music Pt. 6 (*) (4:17) Disc 2 Third Reich ephemera # The 'Oh Mummy' Show (Live, 1976) (*)The release marks this track as previously unreleased, however it was previously released in its entirety as an RSD MP3 only release in 2010. (29:35) # The Letter (1982 Rehearsal) (*) (1:39) # Satisfaction (Live, Madrid, 1983) (*) (3:49) # Land of 1000 Dances (Scott Colburn 1992 mix) (*) (4:10) # Loser ≅ Weed (Live 2013) (2:56) # Third Reich (Icky Flix DVD mix) (4:28) # Third Reich (Live 2001) (4:44) # 'Oh Mummy' Backing Tape Concentrate (*) (11:04) # Third Reich Outtakes Reel (*) (6:05) # 'Oh Mummy' Radio Ad (Unlisted) (*) (1:25) Liner notes "Why do The Residents hate The Beatles?" That was a popular question several years ago when Ralph Records released The Residents' first album, Meet the Residents. Not everyone appreciated seeing their Beatle-Gods with fangs and cross-eyes - not to mention the erratic non-music music. But after all, that was a couple of years ago. Then there was the second album. Produced in total secrecy, the album is reportedly a conceptualization of the theory of obscurity, as applied to phonetic organisation, as originally put forth by the Bavarian avant gardist, N. Senada, with whom The Residents are known to have worked about five years ago. According to the theory of obscurity, the LP cannot be released until its makers literally forget it exists. Now, in the more traditional vein, The Residents announce the release of their third LP, The Third Reich 'n Roll. Already people are speculating whether The Residents are hinting that Rock 'n' Roll has brain-washed the youth of the world. When confronted with this possibility, they replied, "Well, it may be true or it may not, but we just wanted to kick out the jams and get it on." The Third Reich 'n' Roll consists of two suites, Swastikas on Parade and Hitler Was a Vegetarian. Both are semi-phonetic interpretations of top 40 rock 'n' roll from the sixties. "Our roots", say The Residents. One critic has suggested that The Residents are jumping on the German rock bandwagon. "What?" exclaimed one Resident while three others started singing "God Bless America", "Es eben ein reichsfall von gut alt Amerikaner kennenweissRoughly translates to "It's just a rich display of good old American know-how".," he preached with a wink. Personnel Vocals, Drums, Soprano Sax, Alto Sax, Cornet, French Horn, Clarinet, Trombone, Synthesizers, Pipe Organ, Xylophone, Piped Snooter, Electric Violin, Piano, Organ, Guitars, Oud, Garbage Drums, Stretch Globel, Koto, Accordian, Hanging Lamp & Rubber Board: The Residents Additional Vocals: Pamela Zeibak & Peggy Honeydew Fancy Electric Guitar: The Former Bass Player From The Front Line Produced By: Residents, UNINC. Jacket By: Porno/Graphics Release history See also * The Third Reich 'n Roll (video) * Satisfaction * The Beatles Play The Residents And The Residents Play The Beatles Listen online *''The Third Reich 'n Rollon Spotify External links and references * ''The Third Reich 'n Roll at The Residents Historical * The Third Reich 'n Roll at RZweb * The Third Reich 'n Roll at Discogs * The Third Reich 'n Roll pREServed edition at Cherry Red Records Category:Albums Category:The Third Reich 'n Roll Category:The Beatles Category:PREServed Category:Box sets